Oregon Hikers

TodF wrote: ↑

May 14th, 2021, 5:52 am

Did you start at 15 mile camp, or somewhere else? I’m wondering how FS 44 is from 35. Snow map says still under snow.

Started at 15 mile camp. FS44 is fine. There are only small areas where the snow encroaches on the road. The other roads into the trailhead are also fine.

I drove from 35 to Dufur on 44 about 2 weeks ago. There are some shady spots where it is only one lane but fully driveable.

Three Corner Rock is bare (including the surrounding beargrass meadow). There was just one little patch on the road to the towers.
Below is an elevation profile of the route from Skamania Mountain to TCR. It was maybe 95% clear.

I could see Lookout Mountain and Little Lookout Mountain are essentially bare, but the roads leading to them are still maybe three weeks deep.

As pictured below, a bit of snow still lingers on St Helens and Adams.

5/15, heading east on FR60 from 65, road becomes impassable about 1/4 mile from Crest Camp/PCT. Well, there were some tire tracks so maybe somebody got a little farther, but there was also a truck stuck in the snow.

Walkin' Fool wrote: ↑

May 17th, 2021, 6:58 am

...there were some tire tracks so maybe somebody got a little farther, but there was also a truck stuck in the snow.

I guess you could say some poor sap was a "walkin' fool"

Backpacked to Wahtum Lake over the weekend, up Herman Creek and down the PCT along Benson. There were patches of snow above 3500', the only real continuous stretch of snow was the end of Herman Creek from Tomlike junction down to the PCT. All snow was firm, for this trip the spikes were just training weight.
The deepest snow the whole trip was approaching Wahtum lake.
A couple Washington volcanoes from the PCT.
There were bits of snow left on the southern half of Benson Plateau, just enough to be annoying. It should be gone in a week or two.

It snowed yesterday (maybe early today) at Timberline Lodge, Willamette Pass, and presumably a number of other places. I'd be surprised if it will make any difference for trail hikers, since the snow probably fell in places where there was already snow.

I've been watching Lookout Mountain (4222', NE of Silver Star Mountain). Yesterday was the first time this year I saw it completely bare. There might be some on the north side though. My vantage was Roosevelt Peak (my name, not recognized) on McKinley Ridge, north of Bluff Mountain. Roosevelt was bare up to its 3800' summit. However, snow lingered on the approach road. The "too deep to drive through" zone started at 3550', but it was easy to walk over or around.

I've been wondering if Bluff Mountain TH (3550') is accessible. It's a popular place with the big-tire crowd, so I bet there's a track now, even if some snow patches persist.

Hiked Salmon Butte on Saturday 5/22. Top was mostly clear of snow, but the trail was snow covered (with blow down that added to the fun) the last half mile to a mile.

I hiked from Rock Creek Pass to Little lookout Mt. today via road 406, AKA, Greenleaf Trail and could see that there is still snow on road 41 north of Lookout Mt. I turned around NE of Little Lookout Mt. at 3700' where the road was covered in 2' to 4' of snow.
Lookout Mt. from near the summit of Little Lookout: Snow over road NE of Little Lookout on Road 41: